A civil court in Ireland has awarded a woman more than $250,000 after finding that MMA fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her in the penthouse of a local establishment.
The victim, Ni Lamhain, said that McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her following a night of partying at a Dublin hotel in December 2018, per ABC News. The incident reportedly left Lamhain with extreme bruising and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor contended during the trial that the encounter was entirely consensual.
During her testimony, the victim said that McGregor had put her in a chokehold and told her, “Now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” a reference to an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in which McGregor was forced to admit defeat.
“He let me go and I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” Lamhain testified. She added that she feared for her life, believing McGregor would kill her and she would never again see her young daughter.
On Friday morning, a jury of eight women and four men returned a guilty verdict after about six hours of deliberation. The judge ordered McGregor to pay Lamhain $250,000, but the athlete told TMZ that he plans to appeal the ruling.
"The judge's instruction and the modest award given was for assault, there was not an award for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed,” McGregor's statement read.
Fans and media swarmed McGregor as he left the courtroom, but he did not stop to address the crowd.
